Press Release: Woman/Women Opens at The Leonardo

–Woman/Women debuts May 10 in conjunction with 50/50 Day, a national movement dedicated to equality for women

–Mural captures national acclaim; Collaborative creation of Brigham Young University, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Partner and The Leonardo

–Opening day events include film screenings, community dialogs

MAY 4, 2017 (Salt Lake City, UT) – From Nefertiti to Michelle Obama the impact of women on our world is incalculable. Historically, women’s contributions embrace every field of study. And yet today, much outstanding work goes unheralded and worse, unknown.

To help bring these spectacular women into the light, Woman/ Women was created as an original new exhibit for The Leonardo’s Human Rights Gallery. It celebrates the work of women past and present and asks us to imagine a 50/50 future based on equal opportunities.

“This exhibit and mural comes at a particularly relevant time,” said Alexandra Hesse, Executive Director of The Leonardo. “We look forward to drawing from their compelling content to catalyze a range of respectful dialogs about the importance of fairness, inclusion and compassion in building both healthy communities, and thriving economies. The stories of the women featured across history, and from our own backyard, are important in understanding the progress we’ve made, and the opportunities that still lie ahead. This exhibit is instructional, but more important, it is inspiring, for people of all genders and backgrounds.”

At the heart of the exhibit is The Work in Progress Mural, created at The Leonardo. It is a stunning visualization of the impact of women on our society. The brain-child of Jann Haworth, The Leonardo’s Creative Director, this community project brought together over 120 local men and women from the YWCA, University of Utah Nursing School, BYU, The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and staff from The Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County Mayor’s office along with donors from Generosity who backed the project.

Participants created stencil portraits of more than 150 women who are catalysts for change in the arts, sciences and social evolution. Their portraits were then made into a beautiful collage by Liberty Blake, an artist who serves as The Leonardo’s Art Specialist, into a piece that is 40 ft. long—and growing. In the coming months two new panels will be created in the Residency Studio at The Leonardo, bringing the total length to 48 ft.

The project was developed over the summer of 2016 in partnership with the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) and the Brigham Young University Museum of Art (MOA). Recently, the mural was featured at TEDxWomen 2016 in San Francisco and in Washington D.C. as part of the Congressional Commission’s Report in support of the creation of The American Women’s History Museum. It was also taken to the March of a Million Women in Washington D.C. Jan. 2017.

“When I realized how hard it was for me to name 5 women scientists, artists or social activists and that I was not alone in that difficulty, I felt it was time to tackle that gap with a community art project that had been brewing since 2008,” said Jann Haworth, one of the most influential pop artists working today. “My daughter Liberty Blake and myself set out to create a work that now includes over 150 portraits of women who are catalysts for change.”

The Woman/Women exhibition opens on May 10 to coincide with National 50/50 Day. The creation of filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, 50/50 Day aims to start a global conversation about moving toward a gender-balanced world in all sectors of society. To celebrate, The Leonardo will be hosting several events throughout the day including a screening of Tiffany Shlain’s 50/50 film. There will also be a dinner discussion where women leaders in the Utah community will sit alongside high school students, both male and female, to discuss what these extraordinary women did to achieve their success.

Located in the heart of Salt Lake City, The Leonardo is Utah’s Center for Exploration. Here, visitors of all ages can exercise their curiosity, their creativity and experience interactive exhibits with an ongoing calendar of public programs, workshops and classes.